Maleeka Madison is a seventh grade student in a poor performing school in a low-income area. For years Maleeka has been bullied because of the color of her skin. In addition to being picked on for her dark skin, Maleeka has low self-esteem because of her homemade clothing. She is not comfortable with who she is. She uses her smarts and good grades gain protection from a popular girl named Charlese. In exchange for brand name clothes and to be in the inner-circle, Maleeka does Charlese’s homework every night. It doesn’t take long before Maleeka is caught up with the bad behaviors of Charlese and her group. When a new English teacher starts, Ms. Saunders, Maleeka thinks the teacher is out to ruin her life. Ms. Saunders just sees the path Maleeka is down, and sees her potential and knows she can do more with her life. Maleeka slowly gets her own voice and gains strength to stand up for herself through a journal writing assignment for Ms. Saunders. As Maleeka gets to know Ms. Saunders, who has discoloration on her face, she starts to gain respect for her teacher and finally becomes comfortable with the skin she is in.
The groups depicted in this book are mostly African Americans in the inner city. The students are low-income students in middle school. In addition, Ms. Saunders is a Caucasian character and is described as being rich. This book gave me a better understanding of the struggles students may be going through. Students at the middle school age level struggle with their fair share of social and self-esteem issues. Reading this book, from Maleeka’s perspective, gave me an idea of how bullying can change a student’s attitude and self-esteem. Maleeka’s behavior changed as she tried to fit in – her grades slipped, she starts smoking and she was suspended from school. I got an outlook on the everyday fears middle school students face, especially in the inner city, such as bullying, low-self esteem, lack of value on education and crime. The book let me see that there are deeper reasons behind the actions and behaviors students may exhibit.
Reading this book gave a look at what inner city students may be dealing with. Even the smallest thing like homemade versus brand name clothes can change the self-esteem of a student. It also have me awareness of how fear at home, in the neighborhood and at school will affect how much students learn. The book gave a chance to see bullying based on appearance since other African American students bullied Maleeka because her skin was darker.
Not only do I realize the deeper issues students face, but I see the importance of creating a warm and safe classroom. Part of having a safe classroom means that everyone’s differences are accepted and celebrated, and no bullying will be tolerated. My classroom will need to be a well-functioning community. I also realize I will have more to my job than just teaching the required curriculum. Students will be facing issues that I will need to deal with to make sure they feel safe, can learn and reach their potential. This may mean going above and beyond in some cases to make sure students know they are cared about and respected for who they are. Some students may need to be challenged so they are engaged in their learning.
I think this book told a good story from a seventh grader’s perspective. The message would definitely be relevant to students, as many face similar challenges. It was also relevant for me to read as it gave me a look at an average middle school girl’s life.
I would recommend this book to middle school aged students. I think it gives a good look at one person’s struggles that students can relate to. They see her fall and rise up again. The message can be a meaningful and teachable lesson.
Initially I was hesitant to want to use this book as it is written in Ebonics and I don’t find it acceptable in an academic setting. My main issue was that if I expect my students to use proper grammar, then giving them a book written in improper English felt hypocritical. The more I thought about it and wrestled with it, I still think it would be beneficial for students to read. This story is in Maleeka’s point-of-view and therefore in her voice. This book and its writing style may be very relatable to inner city students. It may be the only book they read in a voice and tone they associate with. I think suburban students can also gain an understanding for cultural differences.
Maleeka Madison is a seventh grade student in a poor performing school in a low-income area. For years Maleeka has been bullied because of the color of her skin. In addition to being picked on for her dark skin, Maleeka has low self-esteem because of her homemade clothing. She is not comfortable with who she is. She uses her smarts and good grades gain protection from a popular girl named Charlese. In exchange for brand name clothes and to be in the inner-circle, Maleeka does Charlese’s homework every night. It doesn’t take long before Maleeka is caught up with the bad behaviors of Charlese and her group. When a new English teacher starts, Ms. Saunders, Maleeka thinks the teacher is out to ruin her life. Ms. Saunders just sees the path Maleeka is down, and sees her potential and knows she can do more with her life. Maleeka slowly gets her own voice and gains strength to stand up for herself through a journal writing assignment for Ms. Saunders. As Maleeka gets to know Ms. Saunders, who has discoloration on her face, she starts to gain respect for her teacher and finally becomes comfortable with the skin she is in.
The groups depicted in this book are mostly African Americans in the inner city. The students are low-income students in middle school. In addition, Ms. Saunders is a Caucasian character and is described as being rich.
This book gave me a better understanding of the struggles students may be going through. Students at the middle school age level struggle with their fair share of social and self-esteem issues. Reading this book, from Maleeka’s perspective, gave me an idea of how bullying can change a student’s attitude and self-esteem. Maleeka’s behavior changed as she tried to fit in – her grades slipped, she starts smoking and she was suspended from school. I got an outlook on the everyday fears middle school students face, especially in the inner city, such as bullying, low-self esteem, lack of value on education and crime. The book let me see that there are deeper reasons behind the actions and behaviors students may exhibit.
Reading this book gave a look at what inner city students may be dealing with. Even the smallest thing like homemade versus brand name clothes can change the self-esteem of a student. It also have me awareness of how fear at home, in the neighborhood and at school will affect how much students learn. The book gave a chance to see bullying based on appearance since other African American students bullied Maleeka because her skin was darker.
Not only do I realize the deeper issues students face, but I see the importance of creating a warm and safe classroom. Part of having a safe classroom means that everyone’s differences are accepted and celebrated, and no bullying will be tolerated. My classroom will need to be a well-functioning community. I also realize I will have more to my job than just teaching the required curriculum. Students will be facing issues that I will need to deal with to make sure they feel safe, can learn and reach their potential. This may mean going above and beyond in some cases to make sure students know they are cared about and respected for who they are. Some students may need to be challenged so they are engaged in their learning.
I think this book told a good story from a seventh grader’s perspective. The message would definitely be relevant to students, as many face similar challenges. It was also relevant for me to read as it gave me a look at an average middle school girl’s life.
I would recommend this book to middle school aged students. I think it gives a good look at one person’s struggles that students can relate to. They see her fall and rise up again. The message can be a meaningful and teachable lesson.
Initially I was hesitant to want to use this book as it is written in Ebonics and I don’t find it acceptable in an academic setting. My main issue was that if I expect my students to use proper grammar, then giving them a book written in improper English felt hypocritical. The more I thought about it and wrestled with it, I still think it would be beneficial for students to read. This story is in Maleeka’s point-of-view and therefore in her voice. This book and its writing style may be very relatable to inner city students. It may be the only book they read in a voice and tone they associate with. I think suburban students can also gain an understanding for cultural differences.